The common cold, although not usually a serious illness, is a highly prevalent, discomforting and annoying affliction. The term "common cold" is applied to minor respiratory illnesses caused by a variety of different respiratory viruses. While rhinoviruses are the major known cause of common colds, accounting for approximately 30 percent of colds in adults, viruses in several other groups are also important. While immune responses occur, and infection with some respiratory tract viruses therefore could be prevented by a vaccine, development of a polytypic vaccine to cover all possible agents is impractical. Thus, the problem of controlling acute upper respiratory disease presents complex challenges, and the long-desired discovery of a single cure for the common cold is an unrealistic expectation.
Early symptoms may be minimal with only mild malaise, sore throat and nasal complaints. With rhinovirus infection, symptoms of nasal discharge, nasal congestion, and sneezing usually commence on the first day of illness and progress to maximum severity by the second or third day. Along with nasal symptoms may come sore, dry or scratchy throat and hoarseness and cough. Other symptoms may include mild burning of the eyes, loss of smell and taste, a feeling of pressure or fullness in the sinuses or ears, headache, and vocal impairment. Fever can occur, but is uncommon. Influenza infection generally includes fever, often of sudden onset and persisting for several days, and with great severity; generalized aches and pains; fatigue and weakness; and chest discomfort.
At present, only symptomatic treatment is available for the common cold. The costs of treating colds with over-the-counter medications in the United States is estimated at an annual cost of over 1.5 billion dollars. The direct costs of treatment in outpatient clinics is estimated at almost four billion dollars. Indirect costs, based on the amount of loss in wages because of restricted activity are substantially higher.
Exemplary prior art formulations for treatment of cough, cold, cold-like, allergy, sinus and/or flu symptoms and the discomfort, pain, fever and general malaise associated therewith generally contain an analgesic (aspirin or acetaminophen) and one or more antihistaminics, decongestants, cough suppressants, antitussives and expectorants.
The present inventors have found that selected compositions comprising caffeine along with certain pyrrolidine and piperidine ether antihistaminic agents provides improved treatment, management or mitigation of cold, cold-like, allergy, sinus and/or flu symptoms, including nasal congestion.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for the treatment of cough, cold, cold-like, allergy, sinus and/or flu symptoms in a mammalian organism in need of such treatment comprising administering to such organism the compositions of the present invention. Such symptoms as used herein refer to coryza, nasal congestion, sinus congestion, sinus pain, upper respiratory infections, otitis, sinusitis, etc.